Our region is an export powerhouse. Sixty per cent of our trade is with the EU. We make and sell goods that are in demand throughout the continent for their quality and value for money. All of that could be at risk if we quit the EU customs union and the single market and are lumbered with new customs barriers, charges and unnecessary red tape.

We understand why so many people voted to leave the EU in 2016’s referendum: it was a great way of reminding a cosy London establishment that our region has been receiving a raw deal.

How do we decide if the deal we are offered on Brexit is the right one for the Northeast? Will it be good enough for the exporters who provide so many of the jobs on which our regional economy depends? Companies such as Nissan in Sunderland, Hitachi in County Durham and those in the chemical processing industry on Teesside provide thousands of jobs and see their future as part of the EU customs union and single market. We would hate to see the growth and employment opportunities they offer be undermined by a bad deal.

The outcome of the negotiations will affect the Northeast of England and the United Kingdom for decades to come. Because this is so important, we believe the British people should have their say on the final Brexit deal. Just as the people had their say in the referendum in 2016, we believe the final decision on this country’s destiny should lie with the British people in a people’s vote.